'Harley Quinn' Season 2, Episode 3 Review: Traps, heists, insecurities and the debut of Catwoman
Spoilers for 'Harley Quinn' Season 2, Episode 3 'Trapped'
While Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) barrels on, her purpose clear, other characters on the show find themselves at a crossroads. Doctor Psycho (Tony Hale) wants to prove himself as a leader. Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) suddenly finds herself with a lot more people in her life for someone who is far more comfortable alone. A little time with someone who is absolutely sure of their career path — Catwoman (Sanaa Lathan) — helps put things into perspective, at least for Ivy, but poor Psycho finds himself right back where he started, ironically outmatched by a superior mind.
'Harley Quinn' gives us some of the most fun glimpses of supervillains removed from the context of Batman (Diedrich Bader), allowing us to see what they are like when they are not scheming against the caped crusader. Catwoman is apparently one of the villainous elite — an utterly shameless thief with as much confidence as grace. She is, in many ways, the person Poison Ivy aspires to be — an aloof loner who knows just what she wants from life and takes it without a care in the world. It's strange to see the unflappable Poison Ivy stutter over her own words and motivations in the face of someone more confident, really hitting home just how different the show's Ivy is from her comic book counterpart.
It's a difference that is not unnoticed by Catwoman herself. Poison Ivy is known for being a ruthless ecoterrorist, not a member of a crew more known for their hijinks than their crime. Poison Ivy is definitely off-brand and it's nice to see the show both acknowledge and explore that. The Poison Ivy of the show is one who has accepted people into her life, as scary and challenging that is.
The episode also gives us a better look at Kite-Man (Matt Oberg). Possibly one of the most surprising romantic twists in comic book history is his relationship with Ivy, and Harley still very much doesn't understand it. What she does come to understand, however, is how much Kite-Man genuinely cares for Ivy and makes her happy, which is all Harley really needs to know for her to be on board with the relationship. However, his proposal and Ivy's eventual acceptance, as endearing as it is, is a strange turn of events given that showrunners have said that this is the season that will see Harley and Ivy's romance explored.
It's a mixed episode. As fun as ever, there are a lot of different stories being told here. While Catwoman is hilarious and intriguing, Doctor Trap (Alan Tudyk) falls flat, which makes one question whether or not Tudyk is being given a little too much to do.
The Riddler's (Jim Rash) gleeful teasing of Psycho with mock escape attempts is delightful. We see Harley come to accept Kite-Man, Poison Ivy come to accept her new self and Harley and Ivy growing closer as friends. It's a packed episode, but Ivy is at the heart of it all, and the consequences of her decision here are sure to be focused on in the season to come.
The next episode of 'Harley Quinn' airs April 24 on DC Universe.